More Than Football
April 30, 2025 | Football, Joel Coleman
Bulldogs embrace the chance to give back.
STARKVILLE – Being an athlete at Mississippi State isn't just an incredible opportunity. It's a platform.
Following MSU's annual spring football game on April 19, several Bulldog players used their names, images and likenesses (NIL) and embraced the chance to give back.
Safety Isaac Smith along with quarterbacks Blake Shapen and Kamario Taylor all brightened the lives of others with their incredible generosity.
Smith made a sizable donation to the place he spent his prep playing days, Itawamba Agricultural High School, so his former football team could purchase new jerseys. Meanwhile Shapen and Taylor made the day for hundreds of Mississippi children by providing them with free food and more.
It was a wonderful display of how playing for the Bulldogs is about so much more than football.
"I'm living a bunch of little kids' dream right now that they hope they can live one day," Smith said. "I believe deep down in my heart that God put me here to do this and to use my voice."
Smith's voice was certainly heard and will continue to be heard loudly and clearly in Itawamba County thanks to his selfless gift. In much the same way, the thoughtfulness of Shapen and Taylor will long live in the minds of the kids they impacted.
Like Smith, Taylor provided a special opportunity for some of the ones closest to him. The product of Noxubee County welcomed over 100 kids from his stomping grounds to Davis Wade Stadium, provided them all with food vouchers for a free meal at the concession stand, then – after the game – gave them all the opportunity to come to the field and get autographs and meet himself and other Bulldog players.
"I always told myself if I got big and famous, I wanted to be able to give back to my community," Taylor said. "I want to do great things for my community…Now I have the platform for it."
Unlike Smith and Taylor, Shapen's personal roots aren't in Mississippi. However, the Shreveport, Louisiana, native has certainly embraced the Magnolia State over the last year-plus and that continued to be on full display as he welcomed a couple of hundred Mississippi kids as his guests to the spring game. Shapen also presented invitees with food vouchers and a postgame autograph meet-and greet, as well as a special maroon and white T-shirt with Shapen's image on it.
"Whenever you have a platform like this, I feel like you can use it to be able to influence others," Shapen said. "It's a blessing to be able to be in this position to be able to do something like this. I'm excited to be able to do it."
It's not unusual for area kids to be invited to the spring game. It's a bit of an annual tradition orchestrated by MSU football's DAWG (Developing A Winning Gameplan) Program. The DAWG Program is instrumental in fostering development for guys both in competition and away from the game, preparing players for life.
Part of that is giving back, which is precisely what Smith, Shapen and Taylor were able to do with their desire to spruce this year's spring game invitations up.
Smith, Shapen and Taylor all stand tall as leaders on the field. Their charitable actions show they are leaders off of it as well.
Each Bulldog hopes their gifts served to inspire and positively impact the recipients.
"I grew up wanting to be a college football player," Shapen said. "It's cool to now be able to give [others someone] to look up to and aspire to be great and aspire to be someone that can influence someone else someday."
